He was sentenced this week after being arrested on New Year's Eve and pleading guilty to 10 offences.

'All of these offences were committed while Lee was subject to a community punishment order of 80 hours, imposed in July 2002,' said Peter Hussey, prosecuting.

'The first offence took place on April 19 last year when a security guard in Brown's of Chester saw Lee take some aftershave.

'He was apprehended outside the store and arrested before being charged and released on bail until a court appearance. But he failed to attend and a warrant was issued for his arrest.'

Before the warrant was executed, Lee burgled Smith Low's solicitors on Hoole Road, Chester, on June 25.

On July 3, Lee broke into Watergate House on Watergate Street and stole a cash box which contained £300. And less than two weeks later, he smashed his way into Lesley Simon's Ladieswear on Bridge Street Row, causing £800 of damage to a window.

Meanwhile, CCTV cameras at Tesco on Frodsham Street twice caught Lee stealing from the supermarket on July 12 and 14.

On July 18, he was heading back into the store when a security guard recognised him from CCTV footage and Lee was arrested.

He skipped bail again and another warrant was issued for his arrest.

On October 10, he burgled Merlin House in Union Court and stole money from a vending machine.

The following month, he broke into And Albert on Eastgate Row in Chester city centre, stealing jewellery and cash.

It was not until December 30 that Lee was finally arrested when he was caught putting DVDs down his trousers at WH Smith on Foregate Street.

Nick Williamson, defending, said: 'This is one of the many tragic cases that come before the court where the defendant is gripped by the evils of a drug addiction.

'He was once a hardworking honest man, until a major upset in his life.

'He has enrolled on a drug detoxification programme.'

Mr Williamson added: 'Lee understood the difference between breaking into a business property and burgling houses, he under-stood the upset it would cause and drew the line.'

Mr Williamson pleaded with Recorder Judge Quentin Querelle to make Lee subject to a drug testing and treatment order, to help him with his addiction.

But Recorder Judge Querelle said: 'He has committed a catalogue of offences while already subject to a community rehabilitation order.

'He has shown himself to be someone who is not prepared to comply with a community based punishment and has consistently offended.'